Electromagnetic switch



(No Model.)

0. L. PENNY. ELEOTROMAGNETIO SWITCH.

No. 549,209. Patented Nov. 5, 1895.

ANDREW lfiRAMAM. PHOYO'UTHQWASHINGTBNJIC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. PENIWY, OF NEW ARK, DELAWVARE.

ELECTROMAGNETIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,209, dated November 5, 1895.

Application filed March 12, 1895.' Serial No. 541,515. (No model.) 7

T0 caZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. PENNY, of Newark, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems for Controlling Dynamic Electric Currents and Elee tromagnetic Switches Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to control or switch on or off dynamic electric currents such as are employed in electric lighting and the transmission of power (which currents for distinctions sake I call main currents and the circuits of which I call main circuits) by means of an auxiliary electric current (which I call the governing-current and the circuit of which I call the governingcircuit) and improved switching mechanism. The govern in g-current is additional to and separate and distinct from the main currents, and the system is so arranged that the governing-current may be started, stopped, or reversed without affecting in any way the main current except at those points or at those translating devices to which the switching mechanism may be applied. The governing-current may emanate directly from the same generator as the main current or it may be tapped or derived from the main current at any desired point, in either case its voltage being reduced, if necessary, by suitable resistance, such as incandescent lamps; or, again, the governing-current may have its own separate generator, the source of electricity being immaterial. The governing-circuit includes an electiomagn etic switch which controls the main circuit, and thereby controls the operationof the electrical user in the main circuit, and the governing-circuit is itself controlled by any suitable switch, manual or otherwise.

To enable the principles of the invention to be understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings two simple applications thereof.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the invention applied to an incandescent-lamp system, wherein the lamps are arranged in parallel. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the invention applied to an arc-light system, wherein the lamps are arranged in series.

Referring first to Fig. 1, M is the main cirflowing through the coils thereof.

cuit, through which the main current traverses.

D is the dynamo or generator of high-potential current, with which said main circuit connects, and I is an electric user or translater (in the instance shown an incandescent lamp) in the main circuit.

G is the governing-circuit, which in the in stance shown in Fig. 1 is traversed by a current from the same dynamo D as is the main current. Included in the governing-circuit is a suitable controlling device, such as the reversing-switch R S illustrated, by which it is itself controlled, and also a second electromagnetic switch S, by which it controls the main circuit. I

To distinguish the circuits, the main circuit M is indicated by light lines and the governing-circuit Gr by heavy lines.

The electromagnetic switch S is constructed essentially as follows: An electromagnet m is wound with two sets of coils properly insulated and connected with the main and governing circuits, respectively, and in such manner that they may be traversed by the separate main and governing currents. The said electromagnet is provided with a movable armature a, mounted in any suitable way, so as to be maintained at all times within the field of the magnet and free to approach the same when attracted, and when not attracted to be drawn back. The armature is thus -a non-polarized or neutral armature, since it is attracted by the electromagnet m irrespective of the direction of the current The said armature is provided atsome part of itself or is connected directly or indirectly with a contact-point 0, so designed and adjusted as to impinge against and'to make electric contact with an opposite contact-point b whenever the armature is attracted by the mag net and to break the electric contact whenever the armature is released. The lastnamed contact-point b or its attachment may be either rigid or carried by an elastic spring 8, as shown, in which case there is further provided a suitable stop or arrest 0 in such manner as properly to limit and-arrest the downward movement of the said spring. One of the said contact-points, as b, is connected with one of the above-mentioned sets of coils.

The other contact-point c is connected with the continuation of the main circuit M, of which the said coil is a part, in such manner that the said main circuit shall be closed when the armature is attracted and broken when the armature is released. The said contactpoints and all other portions of the electric circuits are properly insulated wherever necessary. The magnet, with its several parts and attachments, is suitably supported and protected by a case or other support.

The two sets of coils of the magnet on are traversed by the two separate electric currents. The governing-current has superior magnetic power to that of the main current that is to say, has more ampere-turns about the magnet than the main current has. The governing-current is used only temporarily during the starting and interrupting of the main current.

The operation is as follows: \Vhen the armature a is attracted and the two contactpoints Z) and c touch each other, the main current simply traverses the main circuit M, including the main coils of the magnet. W hen the armature is released and the two contact-points b and c are thereby separated, the main current is interrupted. Let it be supposed that the main current is interrupted and that it is the purpose of the operator to cause it to flow. The governing-current is then caused, by moving the switch R S to the right, to traverse its circuit in the same direction around the magnet m which the main current will take when its circuit is closed. The governing-current first magnetizes the magnet on and causes the armature a to be attracted, by which means the circuit of the main current is closed. The main circuit being thus closed, it will itself continue to magnetize the magnet in the same sense or with the same polarity as the governingcurrent has just done, after the latter current shall have ceased, and thus once started the main current will maintain its own circuit at the two contact-points Z) 0 until it is interrupted. After establishing the main circuit the switch R S should be returned to its neutral position, as shown in Fig. 1. Again, let it be supposed that it is the purpose of the operator to interrupt the main current. The governing-current is thereupon caused to flow in the direction around the magnet c011- t'rary to that of the main current by moving the switch R S to the left, and inasmuch as the governing-current has superior magnetic power to that of the main current, or more ampere-turns about the magnet, the governing-current first neutralizes the magnetism, at which moment the armature will be released, and the main current will thereby be interrupted, and then the governing-current remagnetizes the magnet in the opposite sense2'. 6., with reversed polarity-thus again attracting the armature and closing the circuit of the main current, which remains closed as long as the governing-current continues to flow. Now when the governing-current is caused to cease, by again moving the switch R S to the neutral position the magnet tends again to be reversed in. polarity, and thus must first pass through a neutral or non-magnetic state, at which moment the armature is released and the circuit of the main current is broken, to remain so until it is again closed by the governing-current circulating in the direction taken by the main current. This arrangement, as shown in Fig. l, is typical of any system wherein the main circuit is one of a number of parallel circuits and wherein it is desirable to inter rupt the same without disturbing the other parallel circuits.

Fig. 2 illustrates an arrangement wherein one of the electric users or translators in a series is to be started or interrupted without interrupting or disturbing the remaining members of the seriesas, for example, an are light A in series, to be thrown into circuit or out of circuit in such manner as not to interrupt the current through the remaining lights in the same series. In this case there are required two electromagnetic switches S S, exactly similar to the one at first described, but connected together in such manner that the governing-current traverses the two switches in directions opposite to each other relatively to the main current in each switchthat is to say, in such manner that when the governingcurrent in one switch runs with the main current it runs opposite thereto in the other switch. This is offected by arranging the governing-coils of the two electromagnets in series and by connecting together the coils of the governingcircuit which surround the like poles of the two electromagnets, the poles in this connection being these existing when the main current is flowing and the governing-current is interrupted, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. Thus while the same governing-current traverses both switches, it does so with contrary effects, closing the circuit of the main current in one switch and breaking the same in the other switch. This arrangement is made clear by Fig. 2, wherein the main current is divided into two branches M and M. The electric using or translating device A, such as an are light, is located in the branch circuit M, which branch may hence be termed the translating branch. The other-branch M contains no using or translating device, but is a simple conductor for the main current, and hence maybe called the conducting branch.

It will be evident from the relative arrangement of the two switches S S that when the governing-current flows in such a direction as to close the translating branch M of the main circuit at S, as shown in Fig. 2, it will have broken the conducting branch at S, and thus the main current will flow entirely through the translating device A, and that when the governing-eiu-rent flows in the op- ICC IIC

posite direction it will break the translating branch of the main circuit at S and will close the conducting branch of the main circuit at S, and consequently the main current will flow entirely through the conducting branch M. Hence one branch or the other of the main circuit, but not both branches at any one time, will carry the entire main current. Thus the throwing into circuit or out of circuit of the translating branch (containing, for example, one are light of a series) will not interrupt the current of the remaining members of the same series. In Fig. 2 I have shown the governing-circuit as containing an independent dynamo D.

The governing current may in any case have its own separate conductors through a complete circuit. However, in the three-wire system it may be economical or convenient to complete the governing-circuit through the neutral wire, and when a separate generator is used for the governing-current it may be economical or convenient to complete the governing-circuit by grounding the generator and the terminus of the governing-conductor, in either case without departure from the spirit of my invention.

\Vhile it is expected that my invention will find its widest application as being operated by an attendant through the agency of the human will, it is clear that automatic mechanism maybe substituted for the hand-switch R S.

It will be self-evident that any system of' electric distribution may have any number of governing-currents, each operating independently of the other, and that switching mechanism may be applied to a single translating device, as to a single lamp or a single motor, or to a loop of the main circuit including a number of such translating devices.

I claim as my invention 1. An electro-magnet having two independent coils, one of said coils having more magnetic force than the other and an armature for said magnet, in combination with a main circuit which includes the coil of said electromagnet having the lesser magnetic force, said main circuit being opened and closed by the movement of said armature, and a governing circuit which includes the coil of said electromagnet having the greater magnetic force, substantially as set forth.

2. An electro-magnethaving two independent coils, one of said coils having more magnetic force than the other and an armature for said magnet, in combination with a main circuit which includes the coil of said electromagnet having the lesser magnetic force, said main circuit being opened and closed by the movement of said armature, a governing circuit which includes the coil of said electromagnet having the greater magnetic force, and means for controlling said governing circuit and reversing the direction of the current therethrough, substantially as set forth.

Two electro-magnets each having two independept coils, one of said coils having greater magnetic force than the other, and an armature for each of said electro-magnets, in combination with a main circuit, having two parallel branches united at their terminals, one of said branches being a translating branch which includes a translating device, and the other branch being a conducting branch, each of said branches including a coil of one of said clectro-magnets which has the lesser magnetic force, and each of said branches being opened and closed by the ar mature of its included electro-magnet, and a governing circuit including in series the coils of both said elcctro-magnets which have the greater magnetic force, the said governing coils of the two electro-magnets being so connected that when the current in one governing coil traverses in the same direction as the main current of the corresponding main coil, the current in the other governing coil traverses in a direction opposite to that in which the main current traverses in the corresponding main coil, substantially as set forth.

4. Two electro-magnets each having two independent coils, one of said coils having greater magnetic force than the other, and an armature for each of said electro-magnets, in combination with a main circuit having two parallel branches united at their terminals, one of said branches being a translating branch which includes a translating device, and the other branch being a conducting branch, each. of said branches including a coil of one of said electro-magnets which has the lesser magnetic force, and each of said branches being opened and closed by the armature of its included electro-magnet, a governing circuit including in series the coils of both said electro-magnets which have the greater magnetic force, the said governing coils of the two electroqnagnets being so con nected that when the current in one governing coil traverses in the same direction as the main current of the corresponding main coil, the current in the other governing coil traverses in a direction opposite to that in which the main current traverses in the corresponding main coil, and means for controlling said governing circuit and reversing the direction of the current therethrough, substantially as set forth.

5. A main circuit, which is one of a number of parallel circuits, a dynamo, and an electric user or translator in said main circuit, in combination with an electro-magnetic switch directly making and breaking said main circuit so as to either establish the circuit through the said user or translator or to entirely out off the current through the same, an auxiliary or governing circuit including said electromagnetic switch, said governing circuit being separate and distinct from said main circuit, and means for controlling said governing circuit, substantially as set forth.

6. A main circuit, which is one of a number of parallel circuits, a dynamo, and an incandescent electric lamp in said main circuit, in

combination with an electro-magnetic switch directly making and breaking said main circuit, so as to either establish the circuit through the said incandescent electric lamp or to entirely out off the current through the same, an auxiliary or governing circuit including said electro-magnetic switch, said governing circuit being separate and distinct from said main circuit, and means for starting, stopping, and reversing the governing current through said governing circuit, substantially as set forth.

7. A main circuit, a dynamo, and an electric user or translator in said main circuit, in combination with an electro-magnetic switch having a neutral armature which controls said main circuit, an auxiliary or governing circuit including said electro-magnetic switch, and means for controlling said governing circuit at will, substantially as set forth.

8. A main circuit which is one of a number of parallel circuits, a dynamo, and an incandescent electric lamp in said main circuit, in combination with an electro-inagnetic switch having a neutral armature which directly makes and breaks said main circuit so as to either establish the circuit through said lamp or to entirely out off the current through the same, an auxiliary or governing circuit including said electro magnetic switch, said governing circuit being separate and distinct from said main circuit, and means for controlling said governing circuit at will, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES L. PENNY.

\Vitnesses CnAs. B. EVANS, F. D. CHESTER. 

